Process for margarine manufacture



June 25, 1957 R. J. McGowAN ET A1. 2,797,164

PRocEss FOR MARGARINE MANUFACTURE Filed Feb. l5, 1956 2,797,164 VPatented June 25, 1957 l 2,797,164 PROCESS FR MARGARENE MANUFACTURE Raymond J. McGowan andRobert A. Burt, Toronto, Ontario, and BartonA F..V Teasdale, Weston, Ontario, Canada, assignors to Canada Packers, Limited, Toronto, Ontario', Canada Application February 15,1956; Serial No. 565,661

` 9 (Hanns. '(Cll 919-122) glyceridecompositiontof differing characteristics.' The solid,V plastiomargarine is built up of a large number ."of -small crystals of solid glycerides which form a skeleton enmeshing' the liquid 'glycerides The change from the liquidto'the `solidestate of the-emulsion should be rapid "enoughto'insure'thatthe crystals Aformed'are ofmicroscopical^'size,-asmacroscopicalcrystals` give a'granular texture to`-the product. Shock-cooling processesfhave beenl adoptedin thevindustry to provide such ne crystallization. e-Suchcooling'processes --ofi-supercooling. Vberfof excessively small crystals,-the structure is too close, and byreductionin\the size ofthe ycapillaries between-the -'solids,Y andmore" interlocking of=the framework, the moving-`of the-'solids inthe Lviscousliquid is-made -less give riseto a' good deal tlf' thefat consists of too large a-numeasy andplasticitylisreduced. f Ifithe fatmass is agitated after f supercooling and-during crystallization, excessive intervlocking cannot Voccur,=and the resulting product isplastic. i "Howeventhis `product;

cannot be moldedl into prints. Theoretically, a process couldbe. devised whereby the agi- 4tationzduring 'crystallizationy isco'ntrolled so that interlocking occurs/'only to aA degree sufficient to make almoldableproductswhichfat the Sametime, is not toofbrittle.

However, fthe difficulties in: process Vcontrol. attendanttupon 1such'r;operationahave heretoforeproved insurmountable. 1. rMoreover,` because of lthe variability of :the` cooling' characteristicsroffvarious fat blendsgthe equipment required :to give the ,necessarytlexibilityrin such aprocess4 would :be i fairly complicated.

Thus, .in a: currentlynpracticedl continuous" process for the 4manufactureaof :molded-margarine prints, liquid fat and aqueous ingredients are mixed together in a churn to i fermfan emulsion.

r This ernulsionatl a `temperature :above-about 9()` F;,':is picked up by apumpand forced through a chilling-unit commonly known as a votator A unit. This typev of apparatus is describedby A. E. yBailey in Industrial Oil 8;` Fat Products, Interscience Publish- Y ers, New York, 1945, pp. 702-708. The votatorA unit comprisesl oneror `more thin-Walled nickel tubes surrounded by a suitable low-temperatureV cooling medium, such as evaporating liquid ammonia. The tubesv yare provided with internal-rotating'blades-which remove `=the thin nlm v-of chilled: material-from the walls-'of .thel tubes. #The vemnlsion is vsupercooledyinthe votator A unit, and emerges -as a Islurry in'which crystallization-has ,been initiated. Thisfslurrygcontaining minute fat` crystals is then 4passed to ahold-up unit, commonly known as a votator B Ahousehold refrigerators.

-latticing which makes the'product vworked product is very fluid, and is extruded, directly after N'emergence'from the blender, into the product is softand smooth, free of lumpiness, and has good lubrication which enables it to be Y 2 unit, wherein it is permitted to set in a relatively quiescent state. TheB unit' may contain a system of homogenizing screens, but usually contains no agitator.V Solid'margarine, which has set up sufficiently to be printed, emerges from the. B unit, and is printed and wrapped. Such product, however, -is often hard and brittle, and may be very lumpy and' devoid of lubrication. Because of its lack of lubrication, it can be colored orspread only at temperatures considerably higher than those of normal The presence of lumps and grains in the product results in an undesirable texture and in the existence of patches or streaks in the packaged material.

In a modification of such process, margarine is produced that is suiciently fluid to be filled-into plastic bags. This is achieved'by subjecting the slurry that issues from the votator A unit to a mechanical working in a blender, wherein it is subjectedtoithe action of an agitator. blending-unit works or kneads the The product duringthe formation of crystal unduly hard. The

crystallization-period to prevent the plastic bags. This colored and spread i. atv lower' temperatures than the molded product, but unfortunatelythe product cannot be molded into prints.

Anobject of the present invention is to provide an improved process for the-manufacture of margarine of good Ltexture "which can bemoldedinto prints.

' Another-objectof the invention is to provide a process for the manufacture of margarine of smooth texture, good lubricatiomandgood coloring and spreading properties 'fstage, such asa votator A v slurry in lwhich Y crystallization is initiated,l intimately `blendingthe freshly chilled slurry issuing slurry has undergone. much set.

even atl temperatures as low -erator temperatures.

vA further object of the invention is'to provide a continuous process forthe manufacture of margarine which Acan be molded into prints, and which process by reason of readily variable-process-control features will permit wide variations-inthe typesof liquid fats used as `starting as normal household refrigingredients in the process.

Thesefa'nd other l objects and advantages which will be apparent from'the ensuing description, are accomplished by thefpresent inventionwhich, briefly, comprises: mixing 'liquid fat-andaqueous-ingredients to form an emulsion,

continuously passing said emulsion through a lchilling unit, Vto provide a supercooled from said chilling stage with a lrecycled portion of slurry which has been subjected tomechanical working, passing a portion of said blended slurry to a hold-up zone for completion ofcrystallizationunderrelatively quiescent conditions, said blended slurry to consistency for immediate molding and packaging, and little if any change takes place in the texture orf-the material during storage. The molded and packaged material is ready for immediate use, contains no-lumps or grains, holds its molded shape, spreads and colors well at temperatures as low as 46 F., and exhibits no waxiness or gumminess. It has a lively sheen and is smooth and butterlike in texture. The break or melting in the mouth is fast and the taste is of a pleasing-immediate saltiness.

The most important feature of the present improvement resides inthe blending of the freshly chilled slurry issuing'from the A unit with the mechanically-worked,

recycledistreamat` a -point before the freshly chilled The mixedstreams while still relatively uid are passed through a homogenizing device, such as a restricted orifice, homogenizing valve, 4or the like, so as to elect immediate and intimate blending; The freshly chilled material issuing from the A unit is usually at a temperature of about 60 to 70 F. and contains a small quantity of minute crystals. The mechanically worked material to be blended with the freshly chilled slurry hasrundergone substantial crystal-- lization and due to the heat of crystallization released during the working stage, the temperature is higherv than that of the freshly chilled material. Thus, the temperature of the worked portion may be as much as higher than Vthe freshly chilled slurry, in the range 'of 70 to 80 F. Crystallization in the worked portion may be substantially complete, but due to the mechanical action the crystals are relatively small, and the worked stream is relatively fluid. The mechanical action prevents the growing together of the crystals to form a continuous lattice. The blending of the freshly chilled stream with the stream of worked and crystallized material results in a fluid stream containing a substantial quantity of small crystals of the various triglycerides present and a portion of uncrystallized material. The temperature of this stream is several degrees higher than that of the freshly chilled stream. The portion of the blended stream passed into the hold-up unit undergoes further crystallization in this unit to form a product of molding consistency, but by reason of the presence of a substantial quantity of precrystallized material there is no tendency for the Imaterial in the hold-up unit to set into a hard, brittle, or lumpy mass. The temperature rise in the hold-up unit, due to release of heat 'of crystallization, is relatively small, usually in the order of one degree Fahrenheit, or less, and the temperature rise in the printed and packaged material is practically nil.

By reason of the manner in which the recycling through the blender is effected, both the portion undergoing mechanical working and crystallization and the portion undergoing crystallization under relatively quiescent conditions in the hold-up unit have a substantial quantity of precrystallized material already present. In other words, substantially all crystallization is accomplished in the presence of a relatively large quantity of intimately dispersed crystals. The quantity of the dispersed crystallized material is dependent upon the proportions of the stream recycled and mechanically worked, and such proportions therefore must be carefully selected to obtain optimum results. It will be understood that the exact proportion of material to be recycled depends upon the nature of the liquid fat employed as a starting ingredient in preparation of the emulsion. Thus, a margarine product of uniform consistency may be obtained by utilizing different recycle proportions with different types of liquid fats or blends for the starting ingredients. The process therefore has the advantage of offering a ready means for control of product consistency with fats of various types. It has been found, for example, that such fats as hydrogenatcd sh oils, usually regarded as undesirable for margarine manufacture, can be utilized in high proportions in a liquid fat blend to provide the starting ingredient in the present process, and that a margarine product of excellent quality can be produced from such material. The quantity of material recycled and mechanically worked, in general, is in the range of from about one-quarter to about three-quarters of the total stream of blended materials, i. e., at the point where the stream is divided to provide one portion to the hold-up unit and another portion for the mechanical working operation, the latter portion may comprise about onequarter to three-quarters `of the total stream.

The process will be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

T he sole ligure is a diagrammatic representation of the improved system for manufacture of margarine.

Referring to the drawing in detail, liquid fat from the tank 1 and aqueous ingredients from supply tank 2 are passed in conventional proportions, as determined by proportioning pumps`3 and 4 through valve 5 and into a churn 6, wherein an emulsion is formed. The liquid fat is selected from sources providing a fat of a desirable plasticity range. Animal fats, vegetable oils, and/or sh oils usually refined and hydrogenated, and blends thereof, are suitable liquid fat ingredients. The ease with which process control during crystallization can be effected in the present process permits a wider selection fats than can be employed in known conventional processes. All that is necessary, when a different fat blend is used, is to change the amount of recycle.

The temperature in the container 1 is maintained above the melting range of the fat, and the temperature in the churn is also above this range. Generally, such temperatures will be above F. and usually below about supply From the churn 6 the margarine emulsion is forced by positive displacement rotary pump 8 through pipe 9 and into the rst cylinder 10 of a votator A unit of the type described above. The pump 8 provides suflicient pressure to force the material through the entire closed system, the pump delivery pressure being controlled by means of valved by-pass line 11 to the suction side of the pump.

In the votator A unit the emulsion is rapidly chilled to a temperature of, for example, 60-70 F., and issues from the nal cylinder 12 of the votator A unit into pipe 13 as a supercooled fluid slurry nucleated with small crystals. The pipe 13 is connected by T 14 closely adjacent the nal votator cylinder 12 to a pipe 15 which carries the uid stream of recycled and mechanically worked material which, as aforestated, is in substantially completely crystallized form. The temperature of the material in pipe 15 is usually about 70-80 F.

A homogenizing valve 16, of a type well known in this art, is connected in the line substantially immediately following the T 14 connecting the pipes 13 and 15. Homogenization of the combined streams from pipes 13 and 15 is effected by forcing the material under the high pressure existing in the system through the restricted openings of the homogenizing valve 16, after which the homogenized material containing intimately dispersed fat crystals and at a temperature of about 65-75 F. is forced through pipe 18 to a T 19, where it is separated into two streams-one stream passing through pipe 20 into hold-up unit 22 for completion of the crystallization under relatively quiescent conditions, and the other stream passing through pipe 24 and being forced by pump 26 through an agitator or blender 28 for mechanical working and crystallization, and then through pipe 15 back to the T 14 for combination with the stream in pipe 13 ahead of the homogenizing device 16. Valves 29 and 30 control the proportion of the fluid stream passing to the hold-up unit 22 and to the blender 28. It has been found that approximately 1A to 3A of the stream of material passing through pipe 18 may be drawn olr' through pipe 24 by pump 26 and recycled through the blender 2S, the exact proportion depending in part upon the type of liquid fat used as the starting material. The hold-up unit Z2 may be of the conventional type utilized in margarine manufacture. While it may be provided with a screen or screens, it has no agitator and substantially no shearing or working of the margarine product is effected in this unit. Substantially fully crystallized material from the hold-up unit 22 is delivered through pipe 32 to a conventional molding and packaging machine 34.

The agitator or blender 28 for mechanically Working the recycled portion of the material may be of the type commonly used as a B unit in the votator process for shortening Vmanufacture. This unity has a cylindrical shell and is providedwith an axial shaft 38 having a series of rods or arms 40, which are adapted to rotate zwaaien between a series ofrods 42 extending' radially inward fromV the cylindrical shell. The' mechanical werking of the material inithe device-28, in theA presenceH of the sub'- stantialA portion ofU dispersed. crystals already 'i present, `errables further crystallization to take" place rapidly but without crystal latticing; so that a relatively duid stream issues through pipe 1'5'.

The following examples areillustratve of margarine production by the process describedL herein:

Examplev I A liquid fat blendE was prepared' from the following components:

60% soya oil. hydrogenated1 to` a:

M. P. of 38.0 C. (Wiley). 11% peanut oil. hydrogenated toa v M. P. of 41.0 C. (Wiley). 11% peanut Oilhydrogenated to" a M. P. of 32.0 C. (Wiley). 10% palm oil having a M. P. of 8% coconut oil 40.0 C. (Wiley).

The Wiley melting point of the formulated material was 36.5 C.

The liquid fat and aqueous ingredients were mixed in a churn. The emulsion formed was processed as described. The following processing conditions were established:

This product was free of lumps and grains. and colored easily at 55 the mouth. There was an It spread F., and had a good break in immediate salt taste.

Example II A liquid fat blend was prepared from the following components:

55% Menhaden oil hydrogenated to a M. P. of 39.0 20% cottonseed oil hydrogenated to a M. P. of 32.0 10% palm oil having a M. P. of 40.0 5% cottonseed oil liquid. coconut oil.

This formula had a melting point of 36.5 C. (Wley).

The oil and aqueous ingredients were mixed in a churn. The emulsion formed was processed as described. The following conditions were established:

C. (Wiley).

C. (Wiley). C. (Wiley).

Emulsion temperature in churn F 120 Product issuing from the votator A unit F 63 Product issuing from the blender F 75 Blended streams after homogenization F 68 Rise in temperature due to release of latent heat in hold-up unit and in package F 0.5 Percent recycle 42 The product produced by the modied process was free of lumps and colored and spread readily at 55 F.

The improvement in texture here over the conventional process was even more marked than that obtained in Example I-because Formula II contained hydrogenated Menhaden oil which in a conventional process gives a very lumpy product.

Example III A liquid fat was prepared from the following components:

60% soya oilV hydrogenated toa i 5% cottonseed oilE 'ydrogenatedi to a M'. P. of 4lO`C. (Wiley).

9% cottonseed oil hydrogenated)y toa- M. P. of 32.0 10%-pa'lm'oilv liavinga rneltingpoint of 40.0 8%: cottonseed oil'. v8% coconut oil;

C. (Wiley). C. (Wiley).

Emulsion temperature in` churn F ll5 Product issuingV fromyotator Av unit F 68 Product issuing` from.` blender F 78 Blended streams after homogeni'zation F 72 in temperature dueto release of latentr heat. in

hold-up unit and in package F 0.5 Percent recycle 40 Ammonia back pressure p. s. i. g 35 Example IV A liquid fat was prepared from the following components:

55% herring oil hydrogenated to a M. P. of 39.0 C. (Wiley). 13% peanut oil hydrogenated to a M. P. of 41.0 C. (Wiley). 14% peanut oil hydrogenated to a M. P. of 32.0 C. (Wiley).

10% palm oil having a melting point of 40.0

C. (Wiley). 8% coconut oil.

The Wiley M. P. of this formulated oil was 37.0 C. The oil and aqueous ingredients were mixed in a churn. The emulsion formed was processed as described. The

following processing conditions were established:

Emulsion temperature in churn F 120 Product issuing from votator A unit F 64 Product issuing from blender F 74 Blended stream after homogenizau'on F 69 Percent recycle 50 Ammonia back pressure p. s. i. g 40 The margarine products produced in Examples III and IV were very similar to those produced in Examples I and II respectively.

It will be seen from the foregoing description and examples that there has been provided an improved continuous process for manufacture of margarine of a very desirable texture, having excellent spreading and coloring properties even at relatively low temperature, but which may be readily molded into prints and packaged, and that such process permits wide variations in the types of liquid fat blends that can be utilized to produce margarine of substantially the same uniform texture and consistency. v

We claim:

1. A process for margarine manufacture, comprising: mixing liquid fat and aqueous ingredients to form an emulsion, continuously passing said emulsion through a chilling stage to provide a super-cooled slurry stream in which crystallization is initiated, intimately blending the freshly chilled slurry issuing from said chilling stage with a recycled portion of slurry which has been subjected to mechanical working, passing a portion of said blended slurry to a hold-up zone for completion of crystal1ization under quiescent conditions, and subjecting another portion of said blended slurry to mechanical working to provide said recycled portion for admixture with said freshly chilled slurry.

2. The process as dened in claim 1, wherein the re-.

M. P. of 37.09 C (Wiley).

cycled portion is approximately one-quarter to threequarters of the total blended slurry.

3. The process as dened in claim l, wherein said liquid fat ingredients comprise a blend of hydrogenated and natural vegetable oils.

4. The process as dened in claim 1, wherein said liquid fat ingredients comprise a blend of natural and hydrogenated vegetable oils and hydrogenated tsh oils.

5. The process as defined in claim 1, wherein a major portion of said liquid fat ingredients comprise hydrogenated fish oil.

6. The process as dened'in claim 5, wherein said hydrogenated tish oil is hydrogenated Menhaden oil.

7. The process as dened in claim 5, wherein said hydrogenated sh oil is hydrogenated herring oil.

8. The process in claim 1, wherein the temperature of the freshly chilled slurry issuing from the chilling stage is in the range of about 60 to 70 F., the temperature of the blended slurry is about 65 to 75 F., and the temperature rise in the holding stage is less than about 1 F. 20

9. A process for margarine manufacture, comprising: mixing liquid fat and aqueous ingredients to form an emulsion', continuously forcing said emulsion -through a chilling stage to provide a supercooled slurry stream in which crystallization is initiated, combining said slurry stream with a recycled stream of slurryhaving a higher temperature and in which crystallization has been substantially completed, homogenizing the combined slurry stream to provide a slurry stream having a relatively large quantity of fat crystals intimately dispersed in uncrystallized material, passing a portion of said homogenized slurry into a hold-up zone for completion of crystallization under relatively quiescent conditions, forming the resultant crystallized material into shaped portions, and subjecting another portion of said homogenized slurry to mechanical working to provide said recycled stream for admixture with said supercooled slurry.

No references cited.

4UNITED 'STATES PATENT QFFICE CERTIFICAT" 0F CORRECTION Patent No. 2,797,164 June 25, 1957 Raymond J. McGowan et al.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 5, line 2l and 22 should appear as shown below instead of as in the patent- Signed and sealed this 27th day of August 1957.

(SEAL) Attest:

KARL H. AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON Attestlng Offlcer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A PROCESS FOR MARGARINE MANUFACTURE, COMPRISING: MIXING LIQUID FAT AND AQUEOUS INGREDIENTS TO FORM AN EMULSION, CONTINUOUSLY PASSING SAID EMULSION THROUGH A CHILLING STAGE TO PROVIDE A SUPER-COOLED SLURRY STREAM IN WHICH CRYSTALLIZATION IS INITIATED, INTIMATELY BLENDING THE FRESHLY CHILLED ISSUING FROM SAID CHILLING STAGE WITH A RECYCLED PORTION OF SLURRY WHICH HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO MECHANICAL WORKING, PASSING A PORTION OF SAID BLENDED SLURRY TO A HOLD-UP ZONE FOR COMPLETION OF CRYSTALLIZATION UNDER QUIESCENT CONDITIONS, AND SUBJECTING ANOTHER PORTION OF SAID BLENDED SLURRY TO MECHANICAL WORKING TO PROVIDE SAID RECYCLED PORTION FOR ADMIXTURE WITH SAID FRESHLY CHILLED SLURRY. 